ANECDOTES ABOUT CATS 253 



quite uninjured, explained the state of the case and entered 

 into a compact with them, that Gipsy should be let out 

 for exercise and recreation twice a day, and before his 

 release a big bell (like as is seen at railway stations) should 

 be rung, to give warning of the approach of the enemy, 

 when they shut up all the smaller birds, and we never had 

 any more trouble about the matter. 



Gipsy never troubled about adult birds, and I think 

 caught the others more for fun than anything else, as he 

 never attempted to eat them, or objected to their being 

 taken away after he had shown his cleverness in catching 

 them. 



In speaking of Short-haired White Cats I mentioned 

 a large specimen we had called Sam that took an immense 

 number of prizes and always kept himself in the height of 

 perfection, although except at night he was rarely indoors, 

 no matter what the weather was, and never seemed affected 

 by cold, as he would go out in the snow at any time. 



Although it would be supposed his noticeable colour 

 would be greatly against his success, he was the most adroit 

 bird catcher I ever saw, never catching less than one or 

 two every day, and I firmly believe he mainly got his 

 own living in that way, as he was one of the smallest 

 eaters of all our cats, but a big-bodied animal and never 

 seemed to get out of condition. 



He was immensely popular with us but most unsoci- 

 able with strangers, although never bad-tempered, but 

 reserved in the highest degree. 



The brown tabby, Laurel Quar, I spoke of in the 

 sketch of that variety, was purchased by a stone-cutter in 



